The National Park Service closed 1.3 miles of trails at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park this week after Kīlauea volcano produced over 200 shallow earthquakes in the span of seven days and triggered rockfalls near the summit caldera.
Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of Byron Ledge Trail were shut down Wednesday as officials cited rising seismic activity and the danger of falling rock. The U.S. Geological Survey had already issued a volcanic activity notice earlier in the week, reporting renewed spattering at two vents beneath the summit.
A magnitude-3.4 earthquake struck on Sept. 30 and caused small rockfalls along the north wall of the caldera, according to the park service, which credited the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for the earthquake count.
Kīlauea sits at an ORANGE aviation color code, the second-highest tier on USGS’s four-level scale. That rating signals heightened volcanic activity with the potential for an eruption, or an eruption already underway with limited hazards to aircraft.
An intrusion event between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 is believed to have cracked open new fissures on the caldera floor, scientists said. They have no timeline for whether or when the volcano will produce its 55th episode of lava fountaining.
“Forecast windows for episode 55 fountaining can no longer be modeled due to changes in conditions,” the USGS advisory stated.
Officials warned of additional hazards beyond the trail closures, including dangerous gas emissions and small glassy volcanic fragments that can injure skin and eyes.
“Small glassy volcanic fragments may be remobilized during windy conditions following recent eruptive episodes,” the agency said. “Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation.”
The park service is also telling visitors to stay out of closed zones and away from cliff edges, which can give way without warning.
Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, having erupted dozens of times since 1952, according to USGS. Its East Rift Zone erupted nearly nonstop from 1983 to 2018, a 35-year run that closed out with major eruptive activity and a collapse at the summit. An eruption has been intermittently active inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater since December 2024.
Tourist traffic tends to spike during Kīlauea’s active stretches, with visitors drawn to the chance to see lava up close. The park logged more than 1.8 million recreational visits in 2025.
